+Alan on Eucharistic Presidency

Yes, I am still alive. Yes, it has been a while since I wrote anything.

Fascinating discussion over at Bishop Alan’s Blog on presidency at the Eucharist, following on from the vote in Sydney diocese that it is legal for deacons in Sydney to adminster/preside at/<insert your choice of terminology here> the Eucharist/Holy Communion/The Lord’s Supper/<insert your choice of terminology here>.

I loved this bit from Bishop Alan, which just about summarised my take on this:

The Eucharist is presided here by laypeople selected, trained and authorized by the bishop. We call them priests.

Of course, this doesn’t address at all the whole question of just what a Reader (such as myself) is.

On holiday last week, visiting Tywyn Baptist Church got chatting to a minister from an independent church who apparently hadn’t realised that the Church of England had any sort of lay preacher type people, and was rather surprised to learn that we have more of them than we have stipendiary priests/presbyters/elders/<insert your choice of terminology here>.